by Paul Davies
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Product Description
Throughout history, humans have dreamed of knowing the reason for the existence of the universe. In The Mind of God, physicist Paul Davies explores whether modern science can provide the key that will unlock this last secret. In his quest for an ultimate explanation, Davies reexamines the great questions that have preoccupied humankind for millennia, and in the process explores, among other topics, the origin and evolution of the cosmos, the nature of life and consciousness, and the claim that our universe is a kind of gigantic computer. Charting the ways in which the theories of such scientists as Newton, Einstein, and more recently Stephen Hawking and Richard Feynman have altered our conception of the physical universe. Davies puts these scientists' discoveries into context with the writings of philosophers such as Plato. Descartes, Hume, and Kant. His startling conclusion is that the universe is "no minor byproduct of mindless, purposeless forces. We are truly meant to be here." By the means of science, we can truly see into the mind of God.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 The Mind of Davies, 2008-09-18
After reading God and the New Physics, I added Paul Davies to my list of fantasy dinner guests. After reading the Mind of God, I decided to invite only him so we could have a one-on-one conversation.
Throughout my life, I have, as others surely do, wonder what it is all about. In addition, while science seems so cold and calculating, it appears that other forces were at work in mysterious and unknown ways. While the answers are not contained in Mind of God, they certainly point the way to a better understanding. I particularly enjoyed the way this book weaved in the writings of the great philosophers.
If you want nourishment for the mind, I would highly recommend this book. I hope you find this review helpful. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR Author of Wingtips with Spurs
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Further fabulous reading on the "BIG" questions, 2008-06-16
This book is excellent - and follows on from previous Prof. Paul Davies work.
It most certainly is a in-depth look at 'age-old' questions of the beginning of the universe and the "where did it all begin?" questions. Neutral regarding current scientic views versus current religious 'creator' views.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
The Answer to Existence cannot lie in Logic alone, 2008-03-29
This book deals with one of the deepest issues of our time, and perhaps of any time: The reasons for man's existence, and of course its most important corollary, whether a God is indeed responsible (or even needed) for that existence.
The book unfolds in a very much philosophical way, but based on the latest findings of modern physics. It traces the problem through the logic of scientific rationality and while throughout the book the author takes a decidedly neutral stand on the issue of God's existence and on the role He might have played in developing the laws of mathematics and physics, as well as man's existence, at the end, the author does make clear that while scientists may make a claim to not believing in a God, or to not being religious, they are nevertheless constantly animated by the question of God's existence and at the possibility of His having played a decisive role in the establishment of the universe.
The epigram beginning the last chapter attributed to Fred Hoyle makes this point about as clear as it could be made. Hoyle puts the problem thusly: "I have always thought it curious that, while most scientists claim to eschew religion, it actually dominates their thoughts more than it does the clergy."
One thing the book makes clear is that reductive arguments, that invariably lead to the old familiar infinite regress of "turtles all the way down," does not get us any closer to answering this most fundamental of questions. To escape the infinite regress and get to a seemingly more sensible final answer, (which unfortunately in the end is equally paradoxical) Davies appeals to the renowned Relativist John Wheeler, who gives a mostly Quantum Physics answer to the question.
Wheeler's answer, in addition to being based on logic, also rests on Schroeder's idea of "obsever-participancy," in which the "infinite regress" is replaced by an "infinite closed loop." As Davies puts it in the last chapter of the book: Physics gives rise to "obsever-participancy," which gives rise to information, and information gives rise to physics. In other words the reality of the physical universe comes into being only through acts of observation, yet it is the universe that generates the observers, who in turn are responsible for giving concrete form to the universe, including (and importantly) to the laws of physics themselves. That is to say, the laws of physics must have come into existence at the Big Bang -- as did everything else: They cannot have been exogenous, or have existed prior to the existence of the universe itself -- as some scientists would have us believe. According to the closed loop notion: the universe sort of bootstraps its way into existence, laws and all.
As clever as it is, this formulation also has the same odor of infinite regress as does the turtle argument. Thus in the end Davies too gives up and as a final act of desperation covers his exasperation with the fact that Kurt Godel has already proven that our very system of logic has a hole at its center, (it lacks consistency and leaves us with true statements that cannot be proven with its own rules) and thus maybe rationality is not the way to go after all. Since every question requires an explanation, which itself raises more questions, which in turn also require further explanations. Maybe the question of existence cannot be answered by logic alone, because logic presents its own set of problems.
Thus as a result of the hole in our system of logic, the backdoor remains open for any and all other possible non-logical arguments about the existence of God, and about how the universe came into being, including religious ones. Five Stars
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Good book but very slow, 2008-02-05
This is overall a good book but Davies' worst in my opinion. It doesn't have the clarity and there is nothing to compel you onward to the next page. I loved his other books but getting through this was a real chore.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Unbelieveable - I read it and it had something to say , 2008-01-24
A book that 'tries' to equate God to science. It's not the first time but wow!
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